Album Reviews

Michael Jerome Browne

That’s Where It’s At!

Artist:     Michael Jerome Browne

Album:     That’s Where It’s At!

Label:     Borealis Records

Release Date:     2.8.2019

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Michael Jerome Browne is one of those names many will recognize, but may have trouble pinning down. A Canadian with a global recognition as a supporting sideman, Browne is probably—if not positively—one of Canada’s most significant musical exports; a finger-picking stylist with a hugely talented and nuanced delivery that absolutely makes this 16-track release something out of the ordinary.

Browne is mostly noted for his soulful fretwork with slide and acoustic guitars, but here he covers a variety of bases featuring harp and banjo, and his vocals come through as being much more thanpassable, but positively warm and welcome. For many years Browne has been the go-to guy on the road and in the studio for US bluesman Eric Bibb, so it comes as no surprise to find Bibb guesting here with a fine take on Blind Willie Johnson’s classic “Everybody Ought To Treat A Stranger Right. Other guests include Harrison Kennedy and Roxanne Potvin who also share vocal duties in an album that features covers from Sam Cooke, Bobby Blue Bland, Stevie Wonder and an outstanding take on Randy Newman’s “Louisiana 1927.”

Browne also brings his own writing to the table with apparent ease and the overall package is truly delightful, spirited and soulful, with some old-school blues edges. That’s Where It’s At! Is an album worthy of the title and a good choice for lovers of high-end acoustic blues and roots music.

—Iain Patience

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